


Baby, It's Cold Outside

by SorchaR



Category: Kings (TV 2009)
Genre: AU, M/M, Two Gilboans walk into a bar, Yuletide 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2781827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorchaR/pseuds/SorchaR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU after Silas retakes the throne, in which Jack is not yet tired of running after all and runs into David in Austeria.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [janie_tangerine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janie_tangerine/gifts).



Jack is slumped over his drink in one of the worst dive bars he's ever been in, and that's saying something. He's at a table in a dark corner, which one would think would discourage anyone from trying to talk to him. Thus, when someone slides in across from him, he doesn't even bother to look over - until the interloper speaks.

"Come here often?" David Shepherd asks.

Jack glances over, somehow less startled than he should be, and watches as David takes a long drink of his beer. "More than I'd like," he admits, not quite sure why he's not punching David's lights out. Maybe it's the way his stomach still does little backflips when David's close. "But what's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?"

"Trading rotten pick up lines with you, apparently." David plays nervously with a cardboard coaster. "I went to Gath first, but they were too interested in making me into a political pawn."

"I didn't even try. I figured they'd either try the same thing on me or shoot me on sight, and I've always been more the 'get shot on sight' type. So Austeria it was." Jack raises his glass. "To Austeria."

"To Austeria," David echoes, lifting his beer. They drink in silence for a moment, then David clears his throat. "So, uh, I didn't get a chance to talk to you after...after everything that happened."

Jack snorts. "I probably would have just kicked your ass."

"You would've tried," David says matter-of-factly, taking a sip of his beer. "Anyway... The reason I brought Silas back had nothing to do with you. It was William. It was more than obvious that he was the one in charge, at least to everyone but you."

"Fuck you," Jack says, but without any real heat. It's the truth, after all, and if there's one thing he's learned, it's that lying to himself does him no good. "So, what, you hunted me down to tell me that it was nothing personal?"

"Something like that."

Jack turns, startled. "You're joking."

David shrugs. "When I left Gath, I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I heard a rumor that you were here and decided to find out if it was true. You're not very good at hiding, you know."

"Oh, I'm excellent at hiding, when I need to hide. But when you went to prep school with the son of Austeria's prime minister, hiding's unnecessary."

David's mouth quirks. "I suppose so." He closes his eyes for a moment, and Jack sees for the first time how exhausted he looks.

"Where are you staying?" he asks.

David gives a soft laugh. "I'm not. Know of any cheap motels with a minimum of bodies hidden in the mattresses?"

"What makes you think I'd know anything about that? I'm a slut, but I'm not a _cheap_ slut." Jack stands up. "Come on. You're staying with me."

David frowns, but he stands all the same. "Are you sure?"

"I told you that I would always be your friend. That's not something I say lightly." Jack tugs his coat on. "Now come on, before I change my mind."

*****

"So, it's nothing like my place back in Shiloh," Jack says as he opens his front door, "but it's comfortable and there's a second bedroom. We'll have to share the bathroom, though. " He pauses, then adds, "I had a good sum of money hidden away in a bank here, but I don't know how long it has to last, you know?"

"Makes sense to me," David agrees, looking around. "And believe me, I'm grateful for the hospitality." He follows Jack into the bedroom and drops his duffel bag to the floor. "If there's anything I can do -"

"Do you cook? Jack asks, opening the closet and tossing some hangers onto the bed.

David shrugs. "Sadly, no."

"Then you can owe me." Jack heads for the door. "In the meantime, I'm sending out for delivery. Any requests?"

David grins. "I've been living off what I can get from convenience stores and vending machines. Anything's good as long as it's real food."

"Noted." Jack pauses with his hand on the doorknob. "David?"

"Yeah?"

Jack jerks his thumb toward the bathroom. "Take a shower. You reek."

*******

"All right, level with me."

Dinner is finished and they're sitting at the table, picking at what's left. David glances up from playing with the wrapper from his chopsticks, looking startled. "Hmm?"

"You heard me." Jack takes the last eggroll and points it at David before taking a bite. "You didn't track me down just to tell me putting Silas back on the throne had nothing to do with me. So what's the deal?"

David gives a crooked little half-smile. "You got me. I did have another motive."

He doesn't say anything else, and Jack sighs. "Well? Are you going to tell me or should I start guessing?"

"Yeah, just..." David gets up and wanders over to the window, watching the snow that's begun to fall. "Thanks again for letting me stay here. It'd suck to be out looking for a room on a night like this."

Jack gets up and moves to stand next to him. "David. Why did you come here?"

David rolls his shoulders. "There was something between us that wasn't finished."

"We've already been through that, David. If it makes you feel any better, I forgive you, okay?"

Smiling a little, David shakes his head. "Not that." He turns to face Jack fully. "This." Before Jack can react, David kisses him.

When David lifts his head, Jack touches his mouth, stunned into silence for a moment. Finally, he says, "But you and my sister..."

David groans. "Please tell me you're not one of those gay men who doesn't believe bisexuality exists."

And just like that, Jack's angry. "Fuck you, Shepherd," he snarls, pushing David away from him. "What, you're so goddamn attractive that that's the only reason I wouldn't want you?"

He doesn't give David a chance to answer. "I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but you're not doing it with me. I'm not going to be your fucking consolation prize because you can't find Michelle."

"Jack -"

"Seriously, David, you're supposed to be the good one." Jack feels himself tearing up and turns his back, running his hand through his hair. Hurt and disappointment well up in his throat, threatening to choke him.

"If you would just listen -"

"To what?"

David touches Jack's shoulder. "Jack, I _know_ where Michelle is."

Jack goes still, then turns slowly. "You...how do you know where she is? Nobody knows where she is."

"I still have some friends in Shiloh," David replies with a shrug. He hesitates, and then, teeth catching his lower lip, he reaches out to lay his hand on Jack's cheek. "I wanted to see you. I thought...from the first day we met, I kind of felt like there was something there between us, under the mistrust and the anger and all the rest of the bullshit. Was I wrong?"

Jack shakes his head slowly, feeling like a teenager with his first crush. "No. You weren't wrong."

David's smile is as much relieved as pleased. "Well, then. What do we do now?"

"I don't know," Jack admits. "You and my sister...I'll be honest, if it were anyone else I wouldn't care. But I won't do that to her."

"Would it make any difference if I told you she knows how I feel about you?"

"Well, that makes one of us."

David huffs a soft laugh. "I told her, I don't even know how long ago. I worked on what I was going to say for a week. And then, after I managed to stammer it all out, she just smiled and told me she knew already."

"So what, she gave you the okay to fuck her twin brother?"

"Well, maybe not in those words, but she said that if she and I were ever separated, whether it was permanent or not, and this happened -" David gestures between himself and Jack. "She said she was okay with it."

Jack snorts. "What makes you so sure something's going to happen?" He's pretty sure he's not fooling anyone.

"Well, I'm hopeful." David smiles, looking almost shy.

Jack gets right up in David's space and looks him in the eye. "Swear to me that you're telling the truth," he demands. "Swear." Of course he's telling the truth; he's David Shepherd. But Jack needs to hear it.

David's gaze doesn't waver. "I swear."

Jack considers that for a moment, nodding slowly, and then grabs the front of David's shirt to yank him into a hard, hungry kiss. "In that case," he mutters against David's lips, "I don't think we're going to be needing the guest room."


End file.
